"Mamo!" Satsuki reached out her hand to catch the katana that her adopted sister tossed her. She whirled around and slid it through the rib cage of a shinobi. The fallen man morphed into a white being and then proceeded to turn into a tree. The clearing they were fighting in was already merging into the forest surrounding it.
After Naruto had joined the war the identification process of the white Zetsus became a lot easier. The Intelligence Division sent out location reports to any available shinobi whenever Naruto came across an imposter on his quest to find Madara and Sasuke.
Satsuki sighed as she looked around the clearing. It was filled with trees. Only she and Mamori were left standing. Satsuki plopped down on the ground and looked through the leaves of a tree at the blue sky. The sun cast dancing shadows as the wind rustled the tree branches.
"Why are we doing this again instead of exploring exotic places or even just drinking tea in some café?" Satsuki exclaimed. She turned her head slightly and peered up at Mamori. Her blank face gave away no signs of the battle that had just taken place. Satsuki, however, had known the young woman her whole life and could see the faint exhaustion in her golden eyes. She brushed away a stray green strand of hair and sheathed her twin blades.
"No place would be peaceful with this war going on. Besides, wasn't it you who wanted to join the Shinobi Alliance in the first place?" Mamori gave Satsuki a slight glare as she hauled her to her feet.
Satsuki felt a rush of sheepishness flow through her as she gave a slightly nervous laugh. "Oh yeah." She picked up the katana from the ground and cleaned it before handing it back over to Mamori. She looked around and felt a surge of renewed energy go through her as she remembered why she was here in the first place.
Satsuki was a bright girl. Her black hair and eyes did nothing to dim the happiness that natural expelled from the young girl. She was always getting in trouble because of her naïve attitude and Mamori never missed a chance to remind her of her idiocy. Despite the insults, however, Satsuki would always just laugh and go on with her life at the sight on the slight smirk on her sister's face.
Mamori and Satsuki weren't blood sisters but they probably had a bond stronger than any. Satsuki's mother had left her with Mamori's family when she was just a day old. Satsuki never felt bitter about it though. When she was five and crying in her room Mamori had come in to comfort her. She had told her a story of a desperate mother.
"Why didn't you return to your village when you found out you were pregnant?" Mamori's mother, Kaida, asked.
"It's just a diplomatic mission and besides that I..." Mikoto sighed and looked down at her baby girl. Mamori drifted closer and looked at the baby as well. She smiled when the baby gave a little yawn.
"My clan is corrupt." The words echoed in the room as a small chill settled in the women's souls. "They are planning a rebellion, an overthrow that will only bring war, pain, and death. I don't want her to be a part of that. My sons... It's already too late for my sons. My eldest, my brave little Itachi, is showing signs of brilliance and I know my husband plans on using him for this coup of his. He's not evil, just, misdirected. He believes the only way for redemption to the clan name is power. He doesn't want to start a war but I fear it is the only outcome." Tears slid down from Mikoto's eyes.
Kaida, sighed, "How old are your sons." Mikoto looked up and gave a small little smile, "Itachi is only a year older than your Mamori and Sasuke is a year and half old."
"What should this little one's name be?" Kaida asked gently.
"Satsuki"
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Mamori and Satsuki walked into the medical camp of the Alliance. Shinobi were milling around transporting the injured and medicinal supplies. Satsuki spotted someone she recognized and felt a mischievous grin spread across her face. Mamori gave her sideways glance before shifting away from her slightly.
"Oi! Sai-kun, what's up?" Satsuki skipped up to the former Root member. He looked at her a little confused as he glanced at the sun. He then gave a small smile and said slowly, "Why, there are a few clouds and the sun in the sky Idiot-chan."
Satsuki sweat-dropped and then struggled not to pound the young man into the ground. She took in a deep breath and schooled her features. He doesn't mean it. He's just confused. Yes, he is a confused moron who will eventually see what a genius you are and beg for your forgiveness as he kisses your feet. An evil grin flashed across her face before she quickly replaced it with a pout.
"Mou~! Is that how you greet a friend who was just out fighting for her life? Weren't you worried about me? You didn't even say hi!" She looked away towards the ground to give the impression of sadness and depression. She spared a glance at his face to see a conflicted expression on his face.
"I am sorry Satsuki-san. What can I do to make you forgive me?" He asked, genuinely curious. That poor, poor fool. That sucker. Satsuki could feel the thrill of a plan falling into place as she looked up at him through her eyelashes.
"You could give me a hug." She suggested innocently. Sai stepped closer to her awkwardly and allowed her to wrap her arms around him. He felt so awkward that he didn't even notice when she swiped the picture he was currently working on from his pouch.
Satsuki stepped back and grinned brightly at him. "See? That wasn't so bad now was it?" Sai gave a hesitant nod in agreement and watched in confusion as the girl skipped away. His mind flashed to an image of a pink haired kunoichi who enjoys beating up her teammate and an easily angered hokage before coming to the conclusion that women were crazy and not meant to be understood.
Satsuki giggled as she slipped the picture out of her long sleeves and looked at it. It was a sketch of a medical nin healing a cut on a shinobi's arm. The detail was amazing but it was not finished. She agreed that she would give the picture back if he promised she could see the finished result. She put it in the pack on her back gently before looking through the tents for a familiar pink head.
She stifled a laugh as she saw the pink head resting on a scroll. A trail of drool was trailing from the girl's mouth and her eyes were closed. The wrinkles that seemed to frequent her forehead and scrunch her brow lately were gone. She looked so peaceful that Satsuki felt a little guilty at having to ruin the moment. She walked up to the girl and gently shook her shoulder.
"Sakura-chan. Wakey, wakey." Satsuki jumped back in time to avoid getting hit as Sakura's head shot up.
"I'm up! I wasn't sleeping." The girl looked a little flustered as she looked around the tent. Her eyes landed on Satsuki and they cleared. A technical look glinted in them as they scanned the young girl before her for injuries. She sighed and reclined in her chair when she was satisfied that the young girl was unharmed.
"Hey Satsuki, how'd the patrol go?" Satsuki laid down on a cot in the corner of the tent and felt drowsiness set in.
"It was fine. Mamori and I had to fight off a group of Zetsus. Besides that it was a little boring." She could feel her eyes getting heavy. It was difficult to open them with every blink. She faintly heard Sakura get up and tell her to get some rest before leaving the tent.
The tent felt warm. The dispersed light of the sun through the tarp gave it a slightly homey feel to it. Satsuki listened to the bustle outside as she closed her eyes. She drifted off shortly after that.
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When Satsuki woke up it was to yelling. The bustle outside had turned into commotion and slight panic. She burst through the flaps of the tent to see a bloody Naruto walk into the camp carrying an equally beat up Sasuke. Beside them was Itachi. He blended into the shadows and Satsuki almost missed him until he stepped forward and caught the boy before he fell to the floor unconscious.
A circle of shinobi crowded the strange group before a pissed Sakura yelled at them to get their butts in gear. Medics rushed forward and immediately started on the blond hero. Sasuke was lying on his back a little distance away. Sakura was the only one to approach him.
There was a slight tremor and all action stopped. Tsunade walked forward from where she had stood in the doorway of her tent. Satsuki shrunk back into the shadows hoping to remain unseen. She wasn't quick enough as Tsunade's eyes caught her and held her frozen. They gestured to the group on the ground before moving on. The message was clear, however.
As Satsuki slumped forward she felt a presence at her side and turned to look at Mamori. The young woman's gaze was fixed on Itachi. It was understandable. The ex-Akatsuki member was definitely handsome, to put it lightly. Satsuki knew that wasn't the reason though. She felt strength as her sister stood next to her. It reminded her that her problems were menial and that she had people to rely on.
"He's still not bound to this world." Mamori's soft voice cut through the quiet and all med-nin returned to their work as Tsunade glanced at the young woman.
"Do you think you can change that?" Mamori smirked.
"With the right sacrifice. I have just the person in mind." Satsuki shivered slightly at the dangerous aura that had seeped around her sister.
Mamori was a unique case. Most shinobi summons were animals. Mamori, however, had always strived to be her own person and had sought after a contract that would be unique to her and her alone. A contract that was extremely powerful yet just as dangerous if one wasn't careful. Mamori had made a deal with the Lord of the Dead.
Tsunade grunted and turned to Itachi purposely keeping her gaze from resting on the younger Uchiha boy. She motioned for him to follow her and walked back to her tent. Mamori followed them. Satsuki padded quietly up to Sakura. The grass felt cool on her knees as she knelt down. The boy was pale. He had a large gash across his abdomen and his right hand looked slightly bent in an unnatural way.
"Will he be okay?" She asked quietly. Sakura's jaw clenched. Her hands lost their glow and clenched into fists. She looked up into Satsuki's eyes. Satsuki felt an ache in her chest at the pain she saw there and worried filled her entire frame. It was all frozen at the next words.
"Yes."
Sakura's voice had cracked. Her hands had unclenched and tears rolled down her cheeks. She turned away and placed her glowing hands on the boy's injury. She was silent. Satsuki felt as though a piece of her soul had been torn away. What was going on? Wasn't she happy?
The young girl knew that her friend still loved the boy. In the few weeks that the war had ravaged the two had become fast friends starting when Satsuki had tripped and hit a rock on her way down. Sakura had seen it all and came to her aide scolding her to be more careful as she checked for a concussion. No one besides Tsunade, Kakashi, and Mamori knew of Satsuki's identity and the girl was pleasantly surprised to find someone who used to know her brother. It soon turned to shock and happiness when she found that someone still loved him after all he had done.
Satsuki had joined the Alliance to find out more about her brother and family. She was disheartened when she found out the role her brother was playing in the murder of good people. When she found Sakura she found a new vein of hope. She was introduced to others, the rest of the former Rookie Nine as well as Sai, Yamato-taichou, and Team Gai.
"Are you okay?" she asked. Sakura ignored her and Satsuki sighed as she stood up and crept towards the tent her sister was in. She stood outside of the door, hiding in the shadows that the night provided.
"Itachi, you will lead a team to the location of Kabuto. Mamori-san here will be joining you as well as Hyuuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba. The mission is to kill him. Mamori will give you and the team more details on the way to your destination. Dismissed!"
Itachi exited the tent first and headed to his brother. He barely gave Satsuki a glance as he passed her. She met his eyes before turning away and was confronted with Mamori. The young woman looked down at her with a blank face her eyes questioning. Satsuki sighed and shook her head before giving a slight smile. She gave her sister a hug and whispered a good luck.